Child Sexual Exploitation and Grooming

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is a type of sexual abuse. Children in exploitative situations and relationships receive something such as gifts, money or affection as a result of performing sexual activities or others performing sexual activities on them.

Children or young people may be tricked into believing they're in a loving, consensual relationship. They might be invited to parties and given drugs and alcohol. They may also be groomed online.

Some children and young people are trafficked into or within the UK for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Sexual exploitation can also happen to young people in gangs. What marks out exploitation is an imbalance of power in the relationship.

The perpetrator always holds some kind of power over the victim which increases as the exploitative relationship develops.

Sexual exploitation involves varying degrees of coercion, intimidation or enticement, including unwanted pressure from peers to have sex, sexual bullying including cyberbullying and grooming.

However, it is important to recognise that some young people who are being sexually exploited do not exhibit any external signs of abuse.

Sexual exploitation can be very difficult to identify. Warning signs can easily be mistaken for 'normal' teenage behaviour.

Young people who are being sexually exploited may:

go missing from home, care or education.

be involved in abusive relationships, intimidated and fearful of certain people or situations

hang out with groups of older people, or antisocial groups, or with other vulnerable peers

associate with other young people involved in sexual exploitation

get involved in gangs, gang fights, gang membership

have older boyfriends or girlfriends

spend time at places of concern, such as hotels or known brothels

not know where they are, because they have been moved around the country